Cocktails at 9,744ft.*

James Bond is the current Halloween costume of choice for Big C&G, and as I was doing my 007 research (martini in hand, of course) I was reminded of our trip to the top of the Alps for a drink in Blofelds hideaway. Enjoy this past post while I figure out how to make Big C&G look like 007 in his tuxedo and not just a character from Men in Black. Cheers!

Yes, those are real clouds out the window

* But who's counting . . .
Notorious playboy spy and serial cocktailer James Bond may have enjoyed martinis all over the globe but there's only one place in the world you can order yours "shaken and not stirred" in the lair of an evil villain.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was filmed at the top of Schilthorn, the mountain a few thousand feet above the alpine village of Mürren. Bad guy Blofeld and his lovely lady killers used the newly constructed (1968) restaurant Piz Gloria as their secret hideaway high up in the Alps. Spectacular chase scenes have George Lazenbys' James Bond skiing full speed down the mountain, with avalanches and snipers nipping at his heels. The movie was filmed on location around the Lauterbrunnen Valley and Piz Gloria remains a favorite tourist attraction of Bond fans from around the world.

The tiny little dots above the blonde head? Murren.

Once you've conquered your fear of heights (or not, as in my case), what's a few thousand more feet in the interest of cocktails? Piz Gloria is open to the public year round with food and drinks for tourists and brave hikers, from 8:00 to 5:00. For the truly insane, Schilthorn is open to daredevil skiers during the winter months and it's the finish line of the grueling Inferno Triathlon in early August.

It takes two additional cable car rides from Mürren (elev. 5,413 ft.) to get to 9,744 ft. The little C&Gs were so excited about the ride up into the clouds and their enthusiasm is the only thing that got me into the cable car. That and the promise of a very large martini glass filled with vodka at the top. Honestly they should set up a drinks cart at the ticket booth, I would have handed over thousands of euros just for a little liquid courage.

Little C&G not liking the sudden drop in temp

We watched On Her Majesty's Secret Service with the boys before we left home (it's pretty harmless, just long) and they loved seeing the movie location in real life. There's no Joanna Lumley hanging around the lounge but the interior is still pretty groovy. A new interactive Bond exhibit opened last summer and a 360º theater shows Bond clips and aerial shots of the mountain, just in case you kept your eyes closed when you got out of the cable car.

The restaurant rotates (thankfully very slowly) so no matter where you're sitting you'll get a spectacular view. The cocktail menu is filled with Bond references, so it's no surprise Mr. C&G went with a classic martini. I had to order the Bond Girl, a bubbly Prosecco tribute to the lovely Diana Rigg and the only Mrs. Bond in fictional history. The little C&Gs ordered ridiculously expensive orange sodas to go with their fancy Swiss desserts, and after a swing through the Bond themed gift shop we were ready to head back down the mountain.

The name's Gelato. Cocktails and Gelato.

The cable car station is located right in the center of Mürren and you'll want to check the weather forecast and the webcam at the ticket booth before your ascent. If you're going to be up that high you'll want to have clear skies, and wear as many layers as possible. It's cold.

Once the clouds clear you really can see forever, and it's absolutely beautiful. Had we been a little braver we could have walked out on the ridge of the summit. The little C&Gs loved their trip to the top of the world and begged us to go back up again the next day. I am massively acrophobic, so I certainly was not up for a repeat performance. As the cable car descended to Mürren I started feeling much better and 6,000 ft didn't seem so scary. Or possibly my cocktails were finally kicking in.